Corn-harvester



(No Model.) 3 Sheets- -sheet 1. E. B. BOWEN. CORN HARVESTER.

No. 474,359. Paltented May 10, 1892.

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. B. BOWEN.

CORN HARVESTER.

No. 474,359. Patented May 10, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. B. BOWEN.

001m HARVBSTBE.

No. 474,359. Patented May 10,1892.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE B. BOWEN, OF OENTREVILLE, MARYLAND.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,359, dated May 10,1892.

Application filed December 1891. Serial No. 414,570. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE B. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Centreville, in the county of Queen Anne and State ofMaryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCorn-Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention has for its chief objects to adapt corn-harvesters moreperfectly to the harvesting of stalks which may have been beaten orblown down into an inclined position, to insure more perfect and regularaction in dumping, so that no stalks may be strung along between thepiles, and to improve the general operation of the machine by variousimprovements in the different parts thereof. To effect these objects Iemploy the construction and combination of devices hereinafter moreparticularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of amachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a verticallongitudinal section on the line y y of Fig.1. Fig. 3 representsasection of the same on the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents adetail view of the dumping devices and proximate parts in sideelevation. Fig. 5 repre-. sents a section on the line Z Z of Fig. at.Fig. 6 represents an additional detail view of a part of the dumpingdevices. Fig. 7 represents a detail view of a part of one of the chainsserving as carriers and elevators, as hereinafter described. Fig. 8represents a detail view of the balance-wheel and the spring connectingit to the main shaft.

A designates the main frame of the machine; B, the supplemental frameraised on one end thereof to support the elevating and dumping devices;0, the transporting-wheels, and D the draft-tongue, which is hinged, asusual, to allow the tilting of the frame A and devices attached thereto,the rear end of the said tongue being provided with a toothed segment(1, which engages a pinion e on a horizontal shaft E, journaled inbearings attached to the raised frame 13. One end of this shaft isprovided with a hand-lever F,

having attached to it a catch or pawl fiwhich engages at will a fixedsegmental rack F. By rocking the said lever forward or backward theinclination of the frame A forward and downward is increased ordiminished, the said pawl or catch and segmental rack looking it in anyposition of such adjustment. When in use the front of the said frame isgenerally about two or three inches from the ground, the rear beingsomewhat higher. To allow this the Wheels 0 are provided with bentaxles,as shown or bearings may be used, which are adjustable vertically withrespect to the axles, the frame A and bearingsbeing raised and loweredtogether. These devices are not illustrated, as they are not new andhave no direct relation to my improvements. One of thetransporting-wheels O carries a concentric crown gear-wheel G, thatmeshes into a pinion g on driving-shaft G, which is provided atone endwith a crank-arm G having a pitman or connecting-rod h attached to it,whereby the knife bar or cutter H is reciprocated through theguard-fingers I, fastened to the front of the said frame A. From apulley G on the said driving-shaft an endless belt J extends to asimilarpulley or beltwheel J on the projecting end of a shaft or longdrum K, which is journaled in the top of frame B. Endlesselevating-chains L extend from this shaft or drum to a similar shaft ordrum M, arranged horizontally in the main frame A. From this lattershaft or drum horizontal carrier-chains L extend to a similar shaft ordrum M, also journaled in said frame near one end thereof. Each of thesechains L or L is composed of fiat links Z, which are hooked together,every third or fourth link being provided with raised lugs Z to catchthe stalks of corn, so that these may move with the travel of theendless chain. The forward ends of the said shafts ordrums M M areconnected by springs m or other yielding joints with the rear ends ofrods or shafts N, which turn in longitudinal grooves 0 of twoforward-extending bars 0, that are connected at their rear ends to thesaid frame A by vertically-operating hinges 0'. Thus the change ofinclination of frame A will not cause a similar inclination of the bars0 and shafts N. To allow the said shafts and bars to be raisedindependently, I employ a shaft P, extending along the top of the frontof frame A and journaled thereon. This shaft has forward-extendinglifting-arms P, provided with sector-shaped openings 19, which receivestuds 0 on the inner sides of bars 0. The said shaft has a lever Pprovided with a pawl Q,which takes into a fixed segmental rack Q to lockthe aforesaid parts in any position of such adjustment.

Each shaft N is provided at its outer end with a pulley or belt wheel Rand a guide-roll 7', the latter being mounted on a stud 0" in the end ofa plate r which is attached to the bar 0, wherein the said shaft turns,or to a broader plate R, attached thereto. Each bar 0 has one of thesebroader plates R, the same being bent up at its outer end B and attachedto a long guide-arm S. Each bar 0 has, also, a caster-wheels under itsouter end, on which it runs, always maintaining the same height from theground. The two guide-arms S extendv upwardly and inwardly toward eachother and remain rigid with respect to the said bars 0, the said barsand arms being raised and lowered together. The said caster-wheels holdthe lower forward ends of the said guide-arms always a little above theground. Each of these guide-arms is provided with two guide-chainsconstructed of links Z after the fashion of those already described andextending endwise of said guidearms over chain-wheels t t 23 The chainof each arm, which is arranged in a vertical plane, is marked T, whilethat which is arranged in a more nearly horizontal plane is marked T.Their lower forward sprocketwheels If t are provided with pulleys t tand receive motion from a belt R extending around the pulley or beltwheel R and in eontact with the guide-roll r. A guide-pulley if for thesaid belt is also provided in the said arm between the pulleys 25 t. Theshafts of the uppermost and innermost chain-wheels 6 belonging to themore nearly horizontal guidechains T, carry large star-wheels T havinglong radial arms.

A journal on one end of the upper shaft or drum K has a crank-arm Kloose upon it and a clutch K feathered upon it to engage at will withrecesses 70 of the said crank-arm. A lever U, pivoted to a fixed lug u,is employed for shifting this clutch into and out of engagement, thesaid lever being provided with a spring a, which tends to give it theformer position. The lower part of this lever is provided with a pivotedextension U, having on its end a flange'tt for engaging a notch t" of adisk or wheel 1), turning rigidly with a dumping-shaft V to lock thesaid shaft. A supplemental spring u acting only on this pivotedextension, tends to force the said flange into position for suchengagement. A stud 11. on the lower end of the main part of the levercomes in contact with the said pivoted extension when the said lever ismoved for unclutching, and the said flange is moved out of engagementwith the said notch 1;.

From the crank-arm K a pitman W extends to a V-shaped plate V on the endof the said dumping-shaft, said plate having a slot V in its upper part,which receives a stud w on the said pitman. This slot allows the saidstud to move freely back and forth in it without actuating the saidplate and the dumpingshaft V, so long as the dumping-arms V of the saidshaft are in horizontal position for supporting the cornstalks, whichare supplied to them by the elevating-chains hereinbefore described. When a sufficient load has accumulated on the said dumping-arms, the saidlever is shifted to unlock the dumping-shaft and the load falls by itsown weight, turning the said shaft so as to lower the said dumpingarms.The same movement unclutches the crank-arm K. When the said lever isshifted to clutch the said crank-arm again, the rotation of the shaft Kwill cause the pitman WV to lift the said plate, which then by reason ofits lowered position is in contact at the upper end of the slot with thestud w.

During the temporary depression of the dumping-arms V there is dangerthat some stalks of corn will be fed over by the elevatorchains upon theground, stringing along between the regular piles. To obviate this Iemploy supplemental pivoted guards or [ingers Z, having their lower endsarranged to be struck by rods or arms X on the dumpingshaftV as thelatter rocks downward and having their upperends bent horizontally tocatch any stray stalks thus falling. Each of these fingers or guards isprovided with a spring ,2 to replace it in its normal position out ofthe way when the shaft V returns to its position for receivingcornstalks on the dumping-arms.

Mounted loosely on the driving-shaft G is the balance-wheel Z which isconnected to said shaft by spring Z.- This balance-wheel causes thedevices to run steadily, and if the machine is suddenly stopped bystriking an obstacle of any kind or otherwise the shock is much lessenedby the wheel Z which then continues its revolutions until the tension ofspring Z causes it to come to a gradual stop.

The general operation of the machine is as follows: It being drawnforward, the inclined guide-arms S come in contact with the stalks ofcorn. If these stalks have been blown over or beaten down into aslanting position, they will rest on the guide-chains T, which run alongthe tops of the said arms, and the up ward and inward inclination of thesaid arms will lift the stalks into an upright position, directing alsotheir tops together; The lugs l of the links 1 of the said chains aid inthis by taking hold of the said stalks as the said chains revolve andtending to draw them into the desired position. If the stalks areupright, the arms S and the lateral guide-chains T merely draw anddirect the stalks toward the center. Th us, whether originally uprightor tilted, the stalks are delivered to the starwheels T in uprightposition, inclined slightly together, so as to be bunched. The saidwheels then deliver them to the cutting-faces of the knife, slightlyspreading the said stalks as they do so, and the action of the saidwheels, combined with the forward motion of the machine, throws the cutstalks on the frame A. The carrier-chains then deliver the said stalksto the elevator-chains, and the latter deliver them in turn to thedumping-arms, with the results before described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

- 1. In a corn-harvester, two upwardly and inwardly inclinedguiding-arms and endless guide-chains mounted thereon,in combinationwith two forwardly-extending bars which are rigidly attached to saidarms and provided at their front ends with supporting-wheels, and theframe of the machine, to which the said bars are hinged at their rearends, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a pair of upwardly and inwardly inclinedguiding-arms and endless traveling guide-chains mounted thereon, theframe of a corn-harvester, horizontal bars which are hinged at theirrear ends to the said frame for vertical motion and rigidly attached attheir forward ends to the said guidingarms, a pair of shafts on the saidframe, driven by one of the transporting-wheels, a second pair of shaftssupported on the said hinged bars and'rotating with the pair of shaftsfirst mentioned, but having flexible connection thereto, and gearingbetween the shafts on the said bars and the said guide-chains,substantially as set forth.

3. In a corn-harvester, the combination of a dumping-shaft provided withoutwardly-ex tending dumping-arms and inwardly-extending rods orequivalent attachments,with a set of pivoted fingers or guards arrangedto have their lower ends struck by the said rods or attachments as thesaid dumping-arms descend, the upper ends of said guards or fingersbeing bent horizontally and held out to catch the cornstalks while thesaid rods remain thus in contact, and the said fingers being providedwith replacing-springs, which restore. them to their original positionwhen the dumping-arms ascend and the pressure of the said rods isremoved, substantially as set forth.

4. In a corn-harvester, the combination of a rotating shaft K, having acrank-arm, with a pitman operated thereby and having a stud at or nearits lower end,and a dumping-shaft provided with dumping-arms and aslotted. plate, the slot in said plate receiving the said stud and beingof suliicient length to allow the shaft K and its crank-arm to turnwithout crank-arm, and a pitman driven by said crankarm and engaging anattachment of the said dumping-shaft, the said lever being springpressedinto engagement with the said disk and so as to clutch the saidcrank-arm, substantially as set forth.

6. In a corn-harvester, the combination of a lever U, having a pivotedextension U and a stud which engages such extension, with a disk orwheel on the dumping-shaft, which is notched to be engaged by a flangeof said extension, a spring operating against the said extension tocause the said engagement, a rotating shaft K, which is provided with aloose crank-arm and with a clutch shifted by said lever to engage thesaid crank-arm, a spring operating against the said lever to cause thesaid clutching, a pitman operated by the said crank-arm, and a platewhich is rigid with the said dumping-shaft and provided with a slot thatreceives a stud on the said pitman, the said slot being of such lengththat the turning of the crank-arm will not affect the dumping-shaftexcept when the latter is in the dumping position, substantially as setforth.

7. In a corn-harvester, the combination of a dumpingshaft with arotating shaft K, connections between the said shafts, whereby the saiddumping-shaft is lifted from its dumping position, a clutch andshifting-lever for making and disconnecting such connections at will, anattachment of said lever which looks the said dumping-shaft, and springsarranged to normally cause the said clutching and the said locking, thelatter being effected after the clutching has caused the dumpingshaft tobe turned back into its normal position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE B. BOWEN.

Witnesses CHARLES F. RICH, BLANOHARD EMORY, Jr.

